Slack-adjuster.



E. N LUBURG. sLAcK MuusniR.y APPLICATION HLD Il; 1912- 4 l 1,166,465. Patented Jan. 4, ,1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

` ment is the povidin of lautomatic means-of lB e it known Q hat I, ELLswon'i-H lNiets-0N LUBURG, a citizenl of'the'Un'ited States, 're'.

siding in Baltimore city and State of Maryland', have inventedv a new and useful Slackiication.

My invention relates toA improvements' in slack adjusters especially in connection with automobiles and the object of my improvetakmg upF the slac Vtotmaintain a fixed amountiof movement between the fully open posi ion and the position when the brake is andjwhich would htemporaril prevent theV gitudinally thereof in which operates pin 14 A furtheii' object of'my invention is to rolvide means for I4preventing false adJuStmen-ts', such as mi ht occur from the temporary jamming o the brakepartsin false .cured operative rack 11l inside of casing 12, 1

position due to dirt or foreignsubstances 'real and proper'application o the brake.

A further lobject Vofmy invention is the providing of a definite meansof'holdi'ng lor maintaining the brake-rod at a' required lengt-,hand outside `means of varying said v3()l 1 both-sidesof the vehicle.

lengt positive means o erated by said brake-rod. .A further ob]ect of my invention i s the providing of means ofequalizingfstram on A further object of my invention is the providin g ofadjustable means of regulatmg the providing of a machine of .extreme simplichigh speed in siredresults.

With the foregoing and other objects view, my invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination 'and arrangement: of

understood that changes, variations and.

within'the scope of the claims hereunto apparts- :as- ,hereinafter specificallydescribed andillustrated in' the accompanying drawings', wherein 4'is shown the preferred embodiment of theinvention, but it 1s -to be pended.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1, shows la view of my'impraved slack adjuster applied to an 2, shows an Ienf` automobilev brake. larged view of vmy slac adjuster partly Y1n snack-Annuali..

Specification of Letters Patent.`

applicati@ area maren 11, 1912. lserial Naesaem.

Adjuster, of which the .following is a speci- --showin the braking 4and equalizin'g mechanism of `circularly displaced.,

of the brake-rod by means of stopsonl an .independent rod4 operating 'mechanism'- adjusting thelbrake-rod. 1

- A further object of my invention is the.

accomplishing 'the above de- 1 ELLS'UQBTH Nansen-Lumine, orinnnrrnonn MARYLAND.

-,-rate1ited aan'. 4,1916.'

' v section.A Fig. 3 is' aview section' ofl the taken-at right operative rack and pinion, 'anglesto that part. shown -in Fig. .2. Fig.4 1s a vlew of the gear and pinion with the casingshown in section taken online AB ofFig. 2. F1 g 5 isanenlargedview'of the brake-rod screw and holding nut, and Fig.' 6

is an enlarged view ofthe yoperative'shaft `its ratchet and gear. Simi ar numerals refer to throughout the several views.'

--1'is a brake band. 2 is' the brake lever. `3 `and 4 the brake-rod..

' 5 is the'brake handle.

6 is a part ofthe fixedfframeofthe autos. l

mobile in which 4is. secured guide? through which ,operates operative yrack-rod 8 on which are secured stops 9 and 10.'. f

On the end of operative rack-rod 8 is se- 'said rack as illustrated having av slot 13 lonmaintained in position by` sprmg 15 and operating to prevent rack 11 -Rack 11 .drives a splral pinion 16A-which operative shaft i 17; is secured ratchet `wheel 18 which ratchetv wheel18 engages in teeth -on gear 19'Which gear is mounted loosely 011 8o Ifrom becoming y pinion issecured to yoperative shaft 17. On

jshaft 17. 'and is maintained in mesh with I ratchet wheel 18 by means fsprings 2 0 operating i n pockets in gear 19.

Groar-.19 drives pinion21 which pinion 21 Y #is secured to sha-ft 22, and on which shaft 22l is secured'bevel gear 23,' which bevel .gearf drives bevel pinion nut 24. j

On the rear of the bevel `gear 23 are ratchet teeth 25 which are engaged by pin 26,'which pin 26 is' held in place by spnrg 27.

The brake .-rod end 3 is secure 1n the casmove in the casing although it has its threadpinion n'ut24. yThe 'casing parts'28 and-29 -faresecured together 'in anyvsuitable manner and are secured to the' gear casing 32 although no-speciiic means are illustrated.

modifications can be resorted to which come a means for securingthe stops 9'and'104 in any desired position o'f adjustment upon fthe rack rod 8, suitable means, such as'pins 30" y3 1 are ,employed.

ghe operation of zthe described -embodiment of my,l invention. is `as follows: My

between the handle and equalizer or at any other convenient place, or if to be used as an equalizer, then one in each of the brake- 'f rods. The' brake is used inthe ordinaryl way. The stops 9 and 10 being adjusted on operative rack-rod 8 to allow the desired movement of handle 5 from a wide open position yto that of the brakes being fully applied.v It' from any cause the brake or brake bands'become worn and lever v2 must' bei pulled 'farther down thanat first, stop 9' brings up against guide 7 thereby 'arresting operative rack-rod 8 thus causingy rack "pinion 16 toA revolve ratchet Wheel 1,8 ,the same slipping over the ratchet teelthfon gear 19,' the gear giving away orslidinglongitudinally on its shaft by meansof spring 20 yielding. ,y Upon releasing handle v5, and bringing the brake-rods back to initial position or wide' openvbefo're 'thatpo's'iftion is" reached, stop 10 engageswith guide 7 thus holding operative rack-rod 8, Jthereby turning rack pinion 16 "operating shaft 17, Yratchetwheel 1S, gear 19 by means of engaging the teeth thereon, pinion 21, pinion shaft l22;,bevel gear 23, and bevel pinion nut 24 screwing the same on to end tot the mentof the lever 5 as occurs after the brake brake-rods or pull `rod vthus shortening the same until the handle goes back'to initial position. j Y l twill be obviousfrom theabove that the stops Q'and -10 are presumed to be set to give a free,movement of the-entire mechanism `which will permit movement of the operatingllever 5 from the full o'pen position o'f the 'brake band tothe .full closed position thereof. ylhen the brake is fully applied, the stop 9 will just rest against the iXed stop 7 and in the event of any7 wear oceurring on the brake parts, ai'urther movement of the brake lever 5v and consequent movementI of the entire mechanism".willforce the rack bar 8 rearwardly. Upon a release movement of the brake rod 3,r Il, they stop 10 will engage the fixed abutment 7 before the lever 5 is fully returned and as the mechanism, as a whole, moves rearwardly with the v4movement of the lever 5, the rack bar 8 will-impart rotary movement-to the gear train' and take up or shorten'the rod 3, 4

to an amount exactly equal l'to the excess" movement of the lever 5, that is, such moveis set. It is also apparent that no adjustment-of`the parts will be effected unless the stop 9 comes into eng/agement with the Xed abutment 7. Therefore, if the brakeband, 1 is jammed, due to foreign substances between it and the brake drum, there will be no adjustment of the rod 3 and The whole adjustment of the length of the rod 3 and l is dependent upon the movement imparted to the rack bar 8 when an'e'Xcess movement is given to the mechanism through the lever 5 having moved a greater distance cation of the brake.

In a co-pending application, Serial No.

2752,41@ tiled March 6th, 1913, I have shown and claimed a device which Will preclude any possibility? cfa false adjustment due to vibration orv` other causes and in said application have shown clutch devices which lock the adjusting'member and prevent any possibility of false adjustments. These devices are claimed inlsaid. co-pending application Having thus described my invention what I cla-im and desire toseeure by Letters Patent is: f 1. In a slack adjuster, ya brake rod, a rotative member having a ,screw-threaded engagement therewitlnmeans for rotating said, member duringthe `release movements of the Abrake rod 'with reference to `the brake, said meansincluding an'adjusting bar mov. ingwith said brakerod during the normal braking movements of the brake lrod and stationaryl with referencetothe brake rod during abnormal movements thereof. n

2.111 a slack adjuster; a sectional brake. rod, a casing uniting the,l ends thereoik, rotary menjiber engaging one sectionofbrake rod ,and held against longitufdvinga'l-y.A

movement with reference-to ,the casing, an actuating rack bar, ,a gear tram intermediate said rack bar and rotary member,- lclutch.

ldevices permitting a free movementhof-said gear train relatively to the rotarynnember during a movement of the sectional lbrake rod in one direction andgimpal'tillg gmovement of said gear train 'tov said rotary member during a. movementof thebralre rod in the opposite direction, alixedzabutment and adjustable steps adapted `to engage said the rack bar. j In a slacleadjuster, a seetionalbrake rod. acasing joining the adjacent :ends of abutment anddetermine the-movement ofl ysaid lrod, Aa rotary member .having-a' thread engagement" with one section iet.' the4 brake rod, Said rotary member heldI against longitudinal movementwith reference toihthe lcasing, a rack bar moving'with said easingv and brake rod and adapted to be held againstl movementduring certain movements ofthe brake :bar andeasing, a gear y'trailn connetting saidvrackbar and rotary member, a xed abutment engaging the rack bar'and adjustable stops adaptedto engage said abutment and determine the movement of thel rack bar! 4. In a slack adjuster, a sectional brake rod, rotary means intermediate the adjacent 'ends of said rod `for adjusting one lsectlon relatively to the other, means for rotating said members said means includinga gear train and rack'bar,' a fixed abutment and stops'for adjusting the position of the rack bar With reference toy the movements of the brake rod and clutch devices ntermediate`- yao the rack bar Aand rotary member for im-` parting the movements of the rack bar to the rotary member during certain movements of the brake rod and ,permitting free movement of the rack bar duringeertain other movements of the brake rod.

5. In a slack adjuster, a rack bar havingr limited longitudinal movement, a pinion meshing with said rack bar, a fixed' abutment and stops for determining the movement of the rack bar and pinion, a brake rod, a rotary member opera-ting to adjust said rod, connections intermediate said rotary member and rack pinion, permitting relative movement thereof during a relative difference of movement of the rack bar and brake rod and imparting movement to the rotary member during certain other relative movements` of the rack bar and brake rod.

6. In a brake adjuster, a rotative member operating to adjust a` rod, a'rack bar moving withsaid rod, a gear train intermediate said rack barand the rotary member, means for l preventing` movement of said rotary memf ber in one direct-ion, an labutment appurte' nant to the rackbar, adjustable stops arranged upon the rack bar and determining the movement thereof as they engage Athe abutment, said stops permitting movementof the rack bar equal to the normal braking movements of the' brake rod and Vholdingr said rack bar durlng abnormal movements `of the brake rod wherebyr adjustments of the rod are effected only Aupon l abnormal Y movements thereof.

.7. II a slack adjuster, a casing?,r in which a.

brake `'rod is secured and operated, means for drawlng ,sald brake rod lnto rthe casing, said means' including a reciprocating mem- `member to the brake' rod for drawing said brake rod into the casing,

vsaid means including a reciproca-ting mem- ,ber adapted to move with said brake rod during the normal adjusted movements of which said reciprocating member passes, a d.

I justable stops upon said member on opposite i sides of said relatively fixed stop, said stops said rod, a relativelv kfixed stop through adapted to lock the reciprocating member against movement during 'the excess movement of the brake'rod and means for transmitting movementfrom said reciprocating of the latter. y I

9. In a slack adjusted, meansor takmg un the brake rod to an extent equal to that traversedA by the brake rod past4 its normal regulated movement for brakingeonsistmg of a mechanism having a fixed movementwith the brakerod and positive stop devices for preventing its movement during the excess movement of the brake rod, thereby transmittjirig through the excessv movement motion and efectingan. .adjustment for talel ing up the brake rod aS it is moved.'

' attswoinn NELSON traute,

Witnesses: DANL F. Rnsnnwnnnn, ALBERT H. SMITH.

during movement j 

